Prithviraj Kapoor performed plays in Hindustani across the country with his repertory company - Prithvi Theatres for 16 years, still that at the height of his career as an actor in cinema.

When he was forced to close down his due to his ill health, he continued to give enthusiastic support to any theatrical ventures by ex-members of his company.

After his death, a Trust was formed by his son, Shashi Kapoor, to continue his work, with the
object of encouraging interest in the theatre. This Trust constructed a small theatre in Juhu -
Prithvi Theatre - on the original site Prithviraj Kapoor built a theatre that was to be his company's "Home".

Prithviraj Kapoor began Prithvi Theatres in 1944, while he was at the height of his film career. While his first play was 'Shakuntala', his subsequent plays were all topical, addressing concerns of the times, and were written especially for his company.

The company visited 112 towns all over notching up an astonishing 2,662 shows in 5,982 days. Prithviraj Kapoor played the lead in every single show, which meant an average of a show every third day. The company travelled third class and this included Prithviraj himself, even during the years when he was entitled to air or first class travel as a nominated Member of Parliament. Performance venues were mostly cinema halls, though some theatre halls did exist, as they were cheaper to rent. Electric fans were not allowed; instead each audience member was given a hand fan.

The acting style was very different from the high-emotion exaggerated melodrama of the commercial theatre. Though often declamatory, the dialogue delivery and overall production design aimed at being as realistic as possible. Prithviraj Kapoor strove for authenticity and realness. His idea of acting was based on minute observation and concerted training.

"A fresh new tradition of acting stemming from personal understanding and experiences is developing there. When one listens to the actors one feels that the lines are being thought of and spoken there and then, not that they are a part of a pre-written script. That is why everything seems alive."
- Shombhu Mitra, 'Prithviraj o Natyamanch'

Deewar (1946) used the metaphor of a joint family to celebrate the idea of undivided . The play was a warning to a nation under the looming threat of partition.

Pathan (1947) clarified the common misconception of Pathans as either darwans (gatekeepers) or soodkhors (loan sharks), and simultaneously, underlines Hindu-Muslim harmony

.

Ghaddar (1948) underlined the bitter irony faced by Indian Muslims in the post-partition era, who were called Pakistanis in and traitors in.

Ahooti (1949), set in refugee camps, set out to address the enormity of the human tragedy that the Partition spawned.

Kalakar (1951) pitted the fast developing urban against idyllic rural life in a subtle plea against destructive development.

Paisa (1953) responded to the rampant commercialisation of the times.

Kisaan (1956) focused on the feudal hierarchy still prevalent in Indian villages even after independence.

Prithvi Theatres ran for 16 years, till 1960, when the company was forced to close down, due to Prithviraj Kapoor's ill health.

Geoffrey Kendal and his wife Laura Lidell first came to India in the 1940s as actors with ENSA, the
entertainment company for British troupes. This was the beginning of a relationship that was to last till the end of their working years, and later.

After World War II Geoffrey Kendal formed his own touring repertory theatre company, Shakespeareana. As actor-manager of his company, Geoffrey Kendal, accompanied by Laura, toured India and the far east extensively; right upto the 1980s, performing Shakespeare, Shaw, and contemporary English theatre to Indian audiences all over the country, from palaces to schools to theatre halls. In the 1950's their two daughters Jennifer Kendal and Felicity Kendal were an active part of the company.

Shakespeareana crossed paths with Prithvi Theatres in Calcutta, where they were invited by Prithviraj Kapoor to watch one his shows. It was at this show, when Shashi Kapoor, the youngest son of Prithviraj, spotted Jennifer Kendal through the curtains sitting in the audience. It was this meeting that would marry
two acting traditions and eventually give birth to a small and unique theatre - Prithvi.

Shashi Kapoor, who had worked as an actor in the Prithvi Theatres, married Jennifer Kendal, the leading actress of Shakespeareana. For a while Shashi joined Shakespeareana as an actor. After they married, they both joined Prithvi Theatres as actors.

Many years later, when Prithvi Theatre was built, Geoffrey and Laura Kendal performed in the theatre, and were also part of the 1st Prithvi Theatre Festival in 1983, and then again in the 2nd Prithvi Festival in 1985, after Jennifer's death. Later Geoffrey Kendal directed Gaslight for Prithvi Players.

Prithviraj Kapoor dreamt of having a 'home' for his repertory theatre company. In 1962, he leased 2 plots of land in Juhu's suburb of Mumbai. On one plot he built a cottage for himself, and the other he built a theatre. Unfortunately by the time the theatre was constructed, Prithvi Theatres closed down, mainly due to his ill health. This was the end of an era in Hindi theatre in India. After Prithviraj Kapoor died in 1972, his son Shashi Kapoor decided to fulfill his dream and re-built the theatre in his memory, to promote and rejuvenate Hindi theatre.

Both Shashi and Jennifer shared a passion for theatre. and a great respect for Prithviraj's dream for Indian theatre. After studying the situation of theatre in the country, they felt the need for a unique theatre space - a space where the intimate and compelling actor/audience relationship, not unlike that of traditional Indian folk theatre, could be rediscovered.

A few years later, Shashi and Jennifer set up a Trust in Prithviraj Kapoor's memory and bought the 2 plots of land originally leased by Prithviraj, with the intention of building and running a theatre to promote the performing arts. They employed a young architect, Ved Segan, and sent him on a tour of theatres in England and Europe - to study theatre spaces, and to watch shows in them to get a better understanding of the function the space was supposed to serve.

Ved Segan returned and worked closely with Jennifer Kapoor to construct the Prithvi Theatre - and succeeded in building a charmingly intimate space with excellent acoustics and a pervasive feel of theatre. Prithvi Theatre was inaugurated on 5th November 1978, and has over the years become a focal point for thousands of theatre lovers. It was born of a love and passion for theatre and it continues to thrive on the patronage and good wishes of its actors and its audiences.

"The Prithvi Theatre has been designed not only for performances, but also for rehearsals, discussions and meetings. In short, it should inspire the greatest possible interest in the professional theatre. In order to do this, we have chosen to build a thrust stage with the audience arranged in a steep bank on three sides of the acting area. At the rear of the thrust is a small open-end stage intended to be used as a background and entrance rather than an acting area.

"This is a form that has been widely used in for centuries, in traditional performances. Our aim is to rediscover the intimate and compelling actor & audience relationship that has been lost in today's theatre. Such an arrangement should also be ideal for music recitals - as the back row is no more than 25 feet away from the centre stage, artificial amplification becomes unnecessary and we approach the intimacy of the old 'music room.'

"The entire building is airconditioned including the dressing rooms. The theatre will be run on a non-profit basis. The hiring charges are expected to cover merely the running charges.

"We hope we have built a 'space' which will be stimulating and challenging both to the directors and actors who use it, as well as exciting and involving for the audience."